Joe Bonamassa: Live At The Sydney Opera House (Mascot Records)
So here he is again, the man they call Joe Bonamassa, or indeed Joey Bones, yet again releasing a live album. Live At The Sydney Opera House is his 16th(!) record and as the title probably gives away is live from the legendary UNESCO Heritage Monument in Sydney Australia. It features nine tracks tracks that all come from his most recent studio album the No.1 rated Blues Of Desperation. Opening with the chugging (pun intended) This Train driven by the boogie woogie keys of Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer Reese Wynans and a very persistent drumbeat from Anton Fig. The remaining members of this absolutely shit hot live band are Nashville recording legend Michael Rhodes (bass guitar), Paulie Cerra (sax) and Lee Thornburg (trumpet). With Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Gary Pinto on backing vocals for the soul sounds. It's an all star cast who cast magic behind Joey but of course it's the man himself that you'll be buying this album for and as per he brings his A-Game, firing off riffs and solos like it's going out of fashion as well as using that distinct voice of his to great effect on the slinky Drive which features the brass mentioned before. The two masterclasses are Love Ain't A Love Song and Livin' Easy which clock in at the longest runtimes as the band all jam in front of an audience who are clearly having the time of their lives. These albums have always been a great way of experiencing the live power of Joey B in their own home, it's full of blues rock mastery and songs that are bang up to date. 7/10
The Ferrymen: A New Evil (Frontiers Records)
The debut album from The Ferrymen received a glowing 9/10 from myself back in 2017 when it was released. I praised their brand of tough melodic metal comparing it to Dio and Jorn due to the excellent gruff vocals of Ronnie Romero and the guitar heavy songs written by Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear) that many will know from the Allen/Lande project on which he was the main architect. So what of the second album from these two heavy hitters, well thankfully it's more of the same. Hard hitting melodic metal tracks with hook-laden choruses and powerful emotive ballads that never become too saccharine, which so often happens with bands such as this. Take a tracks like No Matter How Hard We Fall, it has a colossal chorus made to be sung back but it never falls into a trap of being overwrought, even with the piano led All We Got you get a thick riff behind it.
We get some crunchy, choral sounds on Our Own Heroes which moves from some choppy riffs swirling into the explorative guitar solo as drummer Mike Terrana (Rage etc) thunders away behind the kit, You Against The World is a rampaging heavy rock number and the album opens with the orchestral intro to Don't Stand In My Way before we get a storming classic heavy metal riff into the fist pumping Bring Me Home. As I said in the review of their debut this is ideal music for fans of Dio and Jorn it's anthemic, melodic and at times quite heavy too, pick up A New Evil if you want some proper classic sounding heavy rock. 9/10
Toothgrinder: I Am (Spinefarm Records)
Toothgrinder have vowed to “make peace with all I am” on their third album and that hints at some of the turmoil experienced by their frontman Justin who's drug and alcohol addiction during their last two album and tour cycles. On this album cycle he's faced his problems and is looking to solve those issues. You can hear this on the album as it has an optimistic outlook, as the clean guitars solo over some more djent styled riffs. I could go into massive amounts of detail about the different styles present on this album as every song presents you with a new sound to try and get to know in their short run times. No Tribe has thick prog riffs and electronic touches, No Surrender In The House Of Leaves has the acoustic Steven Wilson style opening before shifting into some dynamic emotive alt rock, Shiver explores more ambient sounds.
The New Punk Rock is more Nu-metal meets industrial with some rapid fire aggression in the vocals which continues on too soft for the scene, TOO MEAN FOR THE GREEN a blasting hardcore number and Can U Live Today takes some cues from Tool. It's a smorgasbord of sounds from the outset, which could be a bit jarring for anyone used to one style per album, so you could say this record is as progressive as you could get. The differing stylistic changes can only work if the composition and songwriting is strong and Justin, Jason Goss (rhythm guitar) Matt Arensdorf (bass, backing vocals), Wills Weller (drums), and Johnuel Hasney (lead guitar, backing vocals) have clearly focussed on this for I Am. In intense, intriguing listen, I urge you to seek it out. 8/10
Forever Vendetta: New Day Rising (Self Released)
Initially active between 2008 and 2011 Forever Vendetta played across the country with acts such as Hardcore Superstar, Enuff Z Nuff, LA Guns and Tigertailz as well as many of the HRH events as well. Their sleazier style of hard rock was well received giving them a cult following in Swansea however as with so many bands a hiatus beckoned but now they have returned; Chris Tippett (vocals/guitar) and Liam Alonzi (bass) are re-joined by original lead guitarist Leigh Fuge and have got Gareth Hunt (Buffalo Summer/Lethargy/Pearler) behind the kit. On the back of numerous EP's New Day Rising sounds a lot more mature of a release, drawing influence from numerous places they can't be labelled with that sleaze rock tag anymore as this is much more evolved band, than before opening the album with a string intro, Takin It Back has big grooves to it, Roll It On Back brings a BSC Southern style (and even slide guitar) as Come Alive has a big, ballsy riff to it to get things moving properly. I will say as good as the music on this album is, their radio friendly rock does occasionally slip into some more generic sounds but all in all New Day Rising is the re-birth of Forever Vendetta. 7/10
So here he is again, the man they call Joe Bonamassa, or indeed Joey Bones, yet again releasing a live album. Live At The Sydney Opera House is his 16th(!) record and as the title probably gives away is live from the legendary UNESCO Heritage Monument in Sydney Australia. It features nine tracks tracks that all come from his most recent studio album the No.1 rated Blues Of Desperation. Opening with the chugging (pun intended) This Train driven by the boogie woogie keys of Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer Reese Wynans and a very persistent drumbeat from Anton Fig. The remaining members of this absolutely shit hot live band are Nashville recording legend Michael Rhodes (bass guitar), Paulie Cerra (sax) and Lee Thornburg (trumpet). With Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Gary Pinto on backing vocals for the soul sounds. It's an all star cast who cast magic behind Joey but of course it's the man himself that you'll be buying this album for and as per he brings his A-Game, firing off riffs and solos like it's going out of fashion as well as using that distinct voice of his to great effect on the slinky Drive which features the brass mentioned before. The two masterclasses are Love Ain't A Love Song and Livin' Easy which clock in at the longest runtimes as the band all jam in front of an audience who are clearly having the time of their lives. These albums have always been a great way of experiencing the live power of Joey B in their own home, it's full of blues rock mastery and songs that are bang up to date. 7/10
The Ferrymen: A New Evil (Frontiers Records)
The debut album from The Ferrymen received a glowing 9/10 from myself back in 2017 when it was released. I praised their brand of tough melodic metal comparing it to Dio and Jorn due to the excellent gruff vocals of Ronnie Romero and the guitar heavy songs written by Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear) that many will know from the Allen/Lande project on which he was the main architect. So what of the second album from these two heavy hitters, well thankfully it's more of the same. Hard hitting melodic metal tracks with hook-laden choruses and powerful emotive ballads that never become too saccharine, which so often happens with bands such as this. Take a tracks like No Matter How Hard We Fall, it has a colossal chorus made to be sung back but it never falls into a trap of being overwrought, even with the piano led All We Got you get a thick riff behind it.
We get some crunchy, choral sounds on Our Own Heroes which moves from some choppy riffs swirling into the explorative guitar solo as drummer Mike Terrana (Rage etc) thunders away behind the kit, You Against The World is a rampaging heavy rock number and the album opens with the orchestral intro to Don't Stand In My Way before we get a storming classic heavy metal riff into the fist pumping Bring Me Home. As I said in the review of their debut this is ideal music for fans of Dio and Jorn it's anthemic, melodic and at times quite heavy too, pick up A New Evil if you want some proper classic sounding heavy rock. 9/10
Toothgrinder: I Am (Spinefarm Records)
Toothgrinder have vowed to “make peace with all I am” on their third album and that hints at some of the turmoil experienced by their frontman Justin who's drug and alcohol addiction during their last two album and tour cycles. On this album cycle he's faced his problems and is looking to solve those issues. You can hear this on the album as it has an optimistic outlook, as the clean guitars solo over some more djent styled riffs. I could go into massive amounts of detail about the different styles present on this album as every song presents you with a new sound to try and get to know in their short run times. No Tribe has thick prog riffs and electronic touches, No Surrender In The House Of Leaves has the acoustic Steven Wilson style opening before shifting into some dynamic emotive alt rock, Shiver explores more ambient sounds.
The New Punk Rock is more Nu-metal meets industrial with some rapid fire aggression in the vocals which continues on too soft for the scene, TOO MEAN FOR THE GREEN a blasting hardcore number and Can U Live Today takes some cues from Tool. It's a smorgasbord of sounds from the outset, which could be a bit jarring for anyone used to one style per album, so you could say this record is as progressive as you could get. The differing stylistic changes can only work if the composition and songwriting is strong and Justin, Jason Goss (rhythm guitar) Matt Arensdorf (bass, backing vocals), Wills Weller (drums), and Johnuel Hasney (lead guitar, backing vocals) have clearly focussed on this for I Am. In intense, intriguing listen, I urge you to seek it out. 8/10
Forever Vendetta: New Day Rising (Self Released)
Initially active between 2008 and 2011 Forever Vendetta played across the country with acts such as Hardcore Superstar, Enuff Z Nuff, LA Guns and Tigertailz as well as many of the HRH events as well. Their sleazier style of hard rock was well received giving them a cult following in Swansea however as with so many bands a hiatus beckoned but now they have returned; Chris Tippett (vocals/guitar) and Liam Alonzi (bass) are re-joined by original lead guitarist Leigh Fuge and have got Gareth Hunt (Buffalo Summer/Lethargy/Pearler) behind the kit. On the back of numerous EP's New Day Rising sounds a lot more mature of a release, drawing influence from numerous places they can't be labelled with that sleaze rock tag anymore as this is much more evolved band, than before opening the album with a string intro, Takin It Back has big grooves to it, Roll It On Back brings a BSC Southern style (and even slide guitar) as Come Alive has a big, ballsy riff to it to get things moving properly. I will say as good as the music on this album is, their radio friendly rock does occasionally slip into some more generic sounds but all in all New Day Rising is the re-birth of Forever Vendetta. 7/10